Most divorce attorneys in Los Angeles do not have the experience of dealing with prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, large estates, global properties, off shore accounts, interstate and international family law disputes and division of patents, copyrights, royalties, and multiple professional businesses and corporations. A high net worth divorce lawyer will have more experience than the average attorney in dealing with the rigors of more monied and complex divorce cases. Moreover, even among high net worth divorce lawyers there are those who have experience with foreign assets and international family law disputes and those that do not. It is up to you to query a potential attorney and find the one that can handle your specific situation.

Elements of a High-Net-Worth Divorce

In the event that you cannot avoid litigation, there are some steps you should take in order to better prepare yourself for the divorce proceedings. Mostly this will consist of you organizing your estate’s financial information so that a qualified attorney and forensic accountant can review it.

First, you should identify non-marital assets. Generally, any asset acquired before the marriage, received as a gift, or inherited by the individual is considered as “separate” from the marital estate. Next, you need to identify, to the best of your ability, all the assets and liabilities that constitute the marital estate. These assets and liabilities will form the basis for all future legal proceedings concerning the distribution of the marital estate. In some circumstances, you may need to hire a private investigator and a forensic accountant in order to insure that your spouse is not hiding any assets from you.

Lastly, once you have gathered the relevant financial information and formulated a strategy, you need to consult a qualified attorney who can review your financial information and provide the necessary expertise to effectuate your strategy in a legal context.

LA Divorce Attorneys at Law Offices of Warren R. Shiell represent clients in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Brentwood, West Hollywood, Culver City, Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, Calabasas, Burbank, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, other areas around Los Angeles and Southern California. We also represent clients from out of state and different countries in Europe, Americas and Australia among others on California divorce and family law matters. Site Map